Single Publication

Acres: 38,225 acres  
Containment: 75% 
Cause: Undetermined 
Total Personnel: 357  
 
Start Date: May 1, 2022 
Location: San Mateo Mountains, Magdalena Ranger District, Socorro County, NM 
Fuels: Pine, Pinyon-Juniper and Grass Highlights: Fire lines were tested by high winds Saturday and held up well as more than three-quarters of the fire now is considered contained. Crews continue to find and extinguish smoldering hot spots in the southwest portion of the fire. Firefighters will remain vigilant through the Red Flag Warnings today and Monday and will continue to be available for initial attack if any new fires start in the area.  

Operations: As mop up and patrol operations meet with continued success in the southwest part of the fire, more effort is being focused on suppression repair and a plan for the return of fire management to the Cibola National Forest. Work including chipping cut trees, dozer line rehabilitation and establishing erosion control, now are almost complete in the Bear Trap Canyon area and is shifting to address the south and southwest portions of the fire where operations can be accomplished safely. A daily operational briefing video explaining details of the Bear Trap Fire operations can be viewed on the Cibola National Forest Facebook page.  

Weather: Weather throughout the holiday weekend will be hot, dry and windy. The National Weather Service has issued Red Flag Warnings for today and a Fire Weather Watch for Monday because of high temperatures, strong winds and very low humidities. Residents and visitors to the area are encouraged to continue to consider the weather and current fire situation in the state as you enjoy the weekend. 

Closures and Restrictions: The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands (NF & NGs) have issued a fire area, road and trail closure (No. 03-0728) to protect public health and safety during fire operations on the Bear Trap Fire. This closure order expands the previous closure area to provide for continued firefighter safety during wildland fire suppression and emergency operations. This order supersedes the previous order No. 03-0726. Based on high fire danger and severe fire weather conditions, the Cibola NF & NGs have also implemented Stage 2 Fire Restrictions on the Magdalena Ranger District (No. 03-0724). Both closure orders and maps are available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/cibola/alerts-notices.    

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public always are the first priority. Members of the public should stay away from Bear Trap Fire operations. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place over the area, which includes unmanned aircraft, or drones. More information on the dangers drones pose to wildland firefighting aircraft and personnel on the ground can be found at https://www.nifc.gov/drones/.    

Smoke: Smoke from the Bear Trap Fire and other nearby fires might be visible in the areas of Alamo, Datil, Magdalena, Socorro, Winston, and San Antonio, NM. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found at the New Mexico Department of Health Environmental Public Health Tracking website: nmtracking.org. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.   

Fire updates are posted on InciWeb, Cibola NF & NGs website, Facebook and Twitter pages, the NM Fire Information website. 
Email: 2022.beartrap@firenet.gov • Phone: (928) 362-2906 • Office Hours: 8 AM – 8 PM